BITING Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

biting 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbī-tiŋ

Definition of biting

as in bitter

causing intense discomfort to one's skin a biting wind that only the toughest football fans were willing to endure

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sarcastic

marked by the use of wit that is intended to cause hurt feelings the biting comments by the pundits about the government's inaction

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

biting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of bite, informal + sometimes impolite

as in sucking

to be objectionable or unsatisfactory man, that really bites that you have to work on the weekend

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of biting

Adjective

So Google isn’t trying to release more biting mosquitoes into neighborhoods. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 12 June 2026 That raises concerns that in certain situations, the repellent may even begin to attract some biting insects. — Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 4 June 2026

Verb

The younger man then jumped over the front counter, first striking the victim in the head with a phone and then biting the victim's face, police said. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026 Although inflicting pain globally, the energy crisis is biting particularly hard in the rural expanses and communities of the European Union’s largest country by area. — ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for biting

Recent Examples of Synonyms for biting

Adjective

When Hanne, a staff member of a struggling animal rescue, unexpectedly becomes executor of a wealthy hunting family’s estate, a bitter battle over the inheritance erupts.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
This bitter rivalry, which dates back to the 1960s, will see its second 2026 installment at Arrowhead Stadium in January.

— Pete Sweeney October 5, Kansas City Star, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of bitter

Adjective

Fresh Air critic John Powers describes it as a unique blend of creepiness, sarcastic humor and political anger, unlike anything else on TV.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 2 Oct. 2026
This hampers several of my favorite performances, especially Harper, whose Ben is full of sarcastic indignation, and June Laporte as Ginny, an aspiring reporter in need of proper mentoring.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of sarcastic

Verb

Deadline has established that several top producers have declined to throw their hat into the ring, with many citing concerns about the lack of rights and the production contract sucking creative energy away from other projects.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 7 Oct. 2026
But these middlemen have become bipartisan punching bags, accused of sucking up profits at the expense of employers, governments, and patients.

— Blake Farmer, NPR, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of sucking

Adjective

Under Quotidien’s famously flattering lights, Bieber’s signature beauty vocabulary came into particularly sharp focus.

— Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2026
Skubal’s command wasn’t at its sharpest in the first inning, with his changeup consistently missing high.

— Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of sharp

Adjective

However, the film faced rejection from film festivals like Sundance and SXSW, and struggled to secure traditional studio distribution because of its controversial, pitch-black satirical premise about school shootings and social media.

— Lexi Carson, HollywoodReporter, 30 Sep. 2026
In 1982, the actress was cast as one of the leads on the satirical comedy Filthy Rich.

— Maggie Fremont, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of satiric

Adjective

The state oversees different types of facilities for kids in the justice system, ranging in security level from group homes to prisons surrounded by barbed wire.

— Paige Pfleger, ProPublica, 25 Sep. 2026
Which is to say, this is more a barbed comedy of manners than a proper, elegant period piece.

— Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of barbed

Adjective

There are two types of TBIs, penetrating and non-penetrating.

— Connie Etermadi, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
One spring day in Paris many years ago, my wife, Diana, a most penetrating photographer, capable of seeing like no one else, decided, as an experiment, to walk across the city blindfolded.

— Hisham Matar, Harper's Magazine, 2 Aug. 2024